RILA praises California ‘e-fairness’ legislation

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ARLINGTON, Va. — The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) thanked California Governor Jerry Brown for signing legislation that would help level the playing field between online-only retailer Amazon.com and brick-and-mortar stores across California.

"For too long U.S. tax policy has favored online-only retailers like Amazon over the brick-and-mortar stores that create jobs and serve our communities, and it's time to end that special treatment and give all businesses the chance to compete and create jobs in a free and fair market,” said Katherine Lugar, RILA executive VP for public affairs.

California joins Texas and a growing list of states that have passed or are drafting e-fairness legislation to address antiquated pre-Internet rules that allow online retailers without a "physical presence" in a state to skirt the obligation of collecting and remitting state sales taxes, giving those e-tailers a perceived price advantage over local retailers. After decades of federal inaction, these state efforts have sparked a renewed interest in federal legislation that would level the playing field nationally for all retailers.